Stirrup.



v7 ii 1 INVENTOH I li mfl/yi'ller A7TORNEYS No. 887,005. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908. W. D. MILLER.

STIRRUP. APPLICATION FILED 0011.28, 1901.

WITNESSES UNITED ST *rns are r- T FFIQE.

WILLIAM D. MILLER, OF SACO, MONTANA.

STIRRUP Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1908 To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that 1, WILLIAM D. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Saco, in the county of Valley and State of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Stirrup, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is an improvement in stirrups of the character in which the riders foot is automatically released when the rider is thrown from the saddle.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a construction of this nature em bodying a stirrup-frame having a cross bar or bolt and an auxiliary frame for securing the stirrup to the stirrup strap having a hook normally engaging under the bolt; the auxiliary frame being movably seated in the upper portion of the stirrup-frame, with its hook so positioned that it will disengage the bolt when pressure is brought to bear on the front of the auxiliary frame.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a stirrup embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direc tion of the arrows; and Fig. 4 is a view simi lar to Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale, showing the relative position of the two frames of the stirrup at the instant they are detached.

My improved stirrup is essentially com posed of two frames, namely; a stirrupframe 5 and an auxiliary frame 6. The stirrup frame 5 as shown is in the form of the usual metal loop, with the upper free ends thereof rigidly connected together by a crossbolt 7, and provided in their extremities with the substantially vertically-arranged slots 8. The frame 6 is of such length as to freely fit within the upper portion of the frame 5, and is provided at opposite sides with upright ears or flanges 9, connected together by a bolt 10, the latter extending a sufficient distance at the outside of the ears to be seated within the slots 8 of the frame 5 the heads of the bolt, when the auxiliary frame is in this position, engaging the free ends of the stirrup-frame at the outside, and thus operating to prevent any sidewise shifting of the frame 5.

The front and rear edges of the metal or other material forming the base of the frame 6, are turned under the bottom thereof to respectively provide a shoulder or abutment l1 and a hook 12, the latter acting to engage the bolt 7, and is normally forced thereabout by a spring 13, the said spring being rigidly secured to the shoulder or abutment 11 and provided with oppositely-extending arms for engaging the bolt 7.

The stirrup is applied to the saddle by connecting the stirrup strap with the bolt 10, as illustrated in the several drawing figures, and with the abutment or shouldered portion 11 arranged at the front. So long as the riders foot remains in a natural position, the spring 13 will operate to keep the hook 12 in engagement with the bolt 7. If, however, the rider. should slip or become displaced from the saddle, his foot or leg if hung in the stirrup-frame will be ,thrown into contact with the shouldered portion of the auxiliary frame 6, and the bolt will be forced against the tension of the spring 13 until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 4; in which position the stirrup-frame will be released. from the auxiliary frame and drop to the ground.

The invention as shown and described although being the preferred manner of construction of my improved stirrup, may obviously be modified in numerous particulars falling within the scope of the claims annexed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a stirrup, a stirrup-frame having the upper free ends thereof provided with slots, a device connecting the free ends of said frame together, an auxiliary frame having means adapted to be seated in said slots and provided with a hook, and means 0 crating to keep said hook engaged with sair device.

2. In a stirrup, a stirrup-frame having the up er free end thereof provided with slots, a bo t connecting the free ends of the stirrupframe together, an auxiliary frame comprising a base having a hook and a shoulder, respectively at the front and rear sides thereof, and provided with flanges at its opposite ends, a bolt passing through said flanges, extended therebeyond at opposite sides for seating the auxiliary frame within the slots of the stirrup-frame, and a s ring secured to the shoulder of the auxiliary rame, operating to force the hook into engagement with the said bolt.

3. In a stirrup, a stirrup frame having a device arranged crosswise thereof in its upper portion, an auxiliary frame seated on the stirrup frame having a hook rigid therewith, an abutment rigid with the auxiliary frame in opposed position to the hook, and a spring carried by the abutment normally operating to force said hook into engagement with said device.

4. In a stirrup, a stirrup frame having a device arranged crosswise thereof, and an auxiliary frame pivotally mounted within the upper portion of the stirrup frame, having a hook normally engaging under said device, detachably connecting the two frames together.

5. The combination of a stirrup-frame having the upper portion thereof open, a device connecting the sides of the frame together, and an auxiliary frame arranged in the open upper portion of the stirrup-frame having means for engaging under said device and detachably connecting the frames t ogether.

6. The combination of a stirrup-frame having slots in the upper edges thereof, a device arranged Within the frame, and an auxiliary frame having pivots adapted to be seated in. said slots and provided with a hook for engaging said device.

7. The combination of a stirrup-frame having a device connecting the sides thereof together, and an auxiliary frame rockingly mounted on the top edges of said sides and having means for detachably engaging said device.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

7 WILLIAM D. MILLER. Witnesses:

HARRY A. VAGG, WILLIAM D. CI-IRISTMAN. 

